An invitation to spit your mind out, in disgust or in jest, so long as you feel it is a wrong that must be corrected.

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Friday, March 14, 2008

Fees For Flats in France

Beneath the beauty of its surface, the grandeur of its history, and the romance of its surroundings, lies an ugly and demeaning reality of the image of Paris. The victims are fresh faced students, single parents, and poor young career professionals starting out, who cannot afford exorbitant accommodations due to a festering housing crisis; whose income shortfalls cannot sustain roofs over their heads, and are forced to rent in exchange for sex.

The predators are men who are seeking sex for housing, taking advantage of the vulnerability of their prey's situation to satisfy their lustful intentions. Liberation journalist Ondine Millot's six month investigation into this perverse side of Frenchmen also describes a book, Mes Cheres Estudes (My Dear Studies) about Laura's (not her real name) slide from being an undergraduate into a poverty stricken student forced to surrender her body to pay the rent. The contrasting environments of the academe and the reality of her conditions is enough to create permanent distortions in her perceptions of social values, honor, respect, dignity, justice, governance, citizens safety and protection, human rights, among many others that define responsible citizenship, love of country and fellowmen.

There are about 1 million homeless people in France, one hundred thousand of whom sleep in the streets. The students have waged protests by camping in tents at Canal Saint Martin and occupying an abandoned building in front of the Bank of France, calling it the Ministry of Housing Crisis. They have also invited students and other homeless people to squat with them in the building. The protests have forced legislators to introduce a law making housing a legal right, putting it in the same category as education and health.

The landlords at times demand that occupants show salaries that's 3 times the cost of rent, making it impossible for the less privileged to have a place to stay. This has emboldened predators who advertise on websites and periodicals for "flats in exchange for services", or the more bluntly stated "Open in Spirit and Elsewhere" or "For Libertine Services" and outright degrading "Sex Twice a Month". The flats are squalid and unhealthy, but the fees are the worst part of this distasteful state of affairs.

The most fitting punishment for such perverted "landlords" is a revival of the guillotine and public mutilation that will make eunuchs of these despicable breed of mammals who can hardly be called men.

France is not the only country to have a problem with housing. Look at the morgage crisis int he US. Not people prosituting themselves to find a place to sleep thoough at leat not that we know of.....stay well......

The legislature has vowed, because of the protest pressure, to build new homes and made it a legal right for citizens to own homes. When that will happen and how many, I do not Know. How many more students will be victimized and lives destroyed is another question. Visit Paris, by all means, it's a beautiful place. Make sure you don't run out of cash.:-) --Durano, done!

Yes, you're right about the mortgage crisis. Yet the Brits seemed not to have learned anything out of it as they continue to sell homes to young couples and singles through attractive packages which they may not be able to afford.

Paris is a different story, that's why there are no "rentals against services" or "open spirit" yet.I hope it doesn't come to that. :-)--Durano, done!

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About this Blog

Spitting vessels were part of the Asian cultures for many centuries, emanating from China to the Southeast Malay countries.
For all the many things that are difficult to swallow in this world that leave a bad taste in the mouth, here's a spittoon to expectorate it.

I am Durano Lawayan a.k.a. Brad Spit

My orientation is that of a management consultant. I am naturally drawn towards change for as long as it is sustainable and possesses real long term benefits. If we have to change by going back to basics like organic food, less transfat, zero carbon emissions, I'm all for it.

There are many things we have been made to accept, drummed into our brains since we were kids; that these were true, unchangeable, and permanent. Well nothing is permanent and anything can be changed. What was true before may be uncovered today for the phoniness that it was and is. I keep a questioning attitude and a persistent orientation, balanced by a positive outlook.

I love to laugh and enjoy life, and hope the pain brought about by what is wrong in this world is somehow diluted by this merriment.

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